Like Mother Like Daughter
by Stef1981
Summary: Series of one shots based on Stef and Callie's relationship and the moments I would like to see. Mainly Stef/Cal fluff.
1. The Present

**Series of one shots based on Stef and Callie's relationship and the moments I would like to see. This story takes place during the Christmas special. Stef and Callie have a late night talk about the present that was dropped off for foster kids.**

STEF POV

Coming down the steps at 2am I was bright awake after Lena and I had wrapped what seemed to be a million presents for the kids. Well a million and one maybe. It was cold for San Diego and the kids were wishing for a white Christmas. Wasn't likely but I didn't want to bust my babies dreams. Turning the kettle on I hear quiet footsteps come down the back stairs.

"Did we forget a present to wrap." I said sarcastically assuming it was Lena. After not hearing a response I turn around to see Callie standing awkwardly at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey sweets I'm sorry I thought you were mama."

"No, ..um sorry am I bothering you?" she says shyly. Callie had only been living with us for a few months and the poor girl was still concerned that she was always bothering me or Lena.

"Love, I told you many times you never bother me." I walked over to her as she stood in front of me avoiding any eye contact.

"You ok? What are you doing up my love?" I gently touch the side of her face tucking her hair behind her ear as she looks up at me and her smile widens.

"MM I don't know can't sleep. I thought I'd just turn the Tv on or something." Callie walked awkwardly away from me and into the living room. I had a feeling what was bothering her. That present that the social workers brought by earlier for foster kids.I knew she was upset about it as I guess I would be too. Callie wanted terribly just to get out of the system and Lena and I were working as hard and as fast as we could to adopt her. The unfortunate part was the constant roadblocks we kept running into which were just unavoidable. I watched my daughter plop on the couch and turn the tv on as I decided to dump the idea of having tea and make some hot chocolate instead. As I got another mug out from the pantry I noticed my daughter was immersed in watching, "It's a Wonderful Life." It was one of my favorites too and I again smiled as I realized how much Callie was like me. I never gave birth to a daughter but I had thought to myself many times what she would be like if I ever had. I was thinking she would be a lot like Callie. Pouring the hot chocolate into both mugs I walk into the living room.

"Cal?" I said sitting next to her.

"Yeah?" She mumbles still not taking her eyes off the TV.

"I made some hot chocolate. Take some honey."

She turns to look at me.

"Oh you didn't have too...I." she says looking unsure and again avoiding my eyes.

"I can drink both." I said as she looked up at me and I winked.

"Take it my love I made it for both of us."

"Thanks." She smiles.

"Now, talk to me love and turn that off for a second." She looked at me again and I knew she didn't want to talk.

"Just for a bit." I assured her as she turned the tv off and folded her legs on the couch as I leaned back.

"You're upset about the present I know." I took a sip as Callie looked at me surprised. I think she was still shocked sometimes that I could read her brain. I think it still caught her off guard.

"I..I don't really care about it." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh no? Well that's good because it doesn't mean you will be a foster kid forever and it doesn't mean that any of us see you that way." My eyes looked over to hers as she looked down and took a sip of her hot chocolate.

" I most certainly don't see you that way baby."

"Well their really is no other way to see me Stef. That's all I am. It doesn't matter."

"Oh Callie my love," I placed my hot chocolate on the table. "That is not the only way to see you honey. Just because you aren't adopted yet by us does not mean it will not happen."

I watched her play with her fingers. She always did that when she was nervous.

"It's just taking forever I mean we get so close and then something happens. I don't understand." She looked up at me and her eyes were red as I could tell she wanted to avoid crying. I placed my hand on top of her leg and looked into her soft eyes. They were so sweet and still had some sense of innocence in them. I think I was trying to let her keep that little bit she had left.

" I know it's been a long road love. But it doesn't mean it will always be like this. Life can be, well life can be funny. And sometimes the thing we want the most feels like it takes forever to get. But me and Mama are not giving up. Ever. We will fight and fight and fight again for you. You are our baby." I lift her chin up and she looks into my eyes.

" And sometimes if we really want it all the roadblocks, pitfalls, pain, sadness we just work through to get it. I mean that's how I felt once I finally told Mama I loved her." This time she looked up at me on her own with a surprised look.

"Were you scared to tell her?" she said curiously.

"MM I was. I was scared but honestly I was more scared of what other people thought." I smiled taking another sip of hot chocolate.

"You don't seem that way….I mean scared. You are a cop and that's like the scariest job ever."

"It has its moments babe. But I definitely get scared love. Definitely. I mean even as cop there are times that are frightening. Like one time this convenience store was getting robbed. And the guy committing the crime had a little kid at gunpoint. Probably abou Jude's age or younger. At that moment I was terrified. Almost like my heart was going to beat out of my chest or stop all completely." I took another sip of my hot chocolate and placed it on the table.

"That's really scarey. I don't know if I could do it. I mean do what you do everyday. I mean I try not to think about what you do."

"Oh yeah whys that?" I took my hand and slightly pushed Callie's hair behind her ears again.

"MM I don't know. I mean cops get hurt or they can get...you know." she looked away.

"Shot? Killed?" I said.

"Mm yeah."

"I understand but what I learned is you can't live your life in fear. I mean those are valid feeling love, very much so. Like your feelings about that present and feeling like you will never get out of the system. All valid feelings. But it's important not to walk around being afraid of life my love. She nodded at me.

"Cals you know something...you and I didn't hit it off so well huh?" I smiled and Callie looked to the side feeling embarrassed.

"You can admit it honey. We bumped heads a lot in the beginning." I laughed.

"Yeah...I was rude." She admitted.

"Ah..you were just protecting yourself. I understand that."

"I called you a dyke…..I..never apologized for that. I'm...I'm sorry for that Stef." I looked to her as her eyes looked sad, even embarrassed.

"I accept your apology honey." I knew at the time Lena and I had thrown her off.

"A Lot has changed in three months huh?"

"Yeah...I never thought I'd love you. You made me insane." Callie laughed and rolled her eyes as I smiled back at her laughing as well.

"Insane huh?" I lifted my eyebrows up.

"Yes you annoyed me." Callie laughed.

"Good so my job was done then." I laughed.

"Seriously my love, you have grown so much, and changed in such positive ways. Lena and I are so so proud of you baby." I winked at her and leaned in to give her a kiss on her soft forehead.

"Stef..I…I just want .." she looked down and I could tell she wanted to say something but was having a hard time.

"You just want what babygirl?"

"Well…" Callie got up slowly and walked out of the room to my surprise. A few moments later she walked in with a small box in her hand. She sat close to me on the couch.

"I wanted to give you this but didn't want to give it in front of everyone. It's technically Christmas." She smiled awkwardly at me and I could feel my heart beating faster and my face soften.

"I was your secret Santa." She smiled and I smiled back at her widely as I gently took the gift out of her hand and unwrapped it slowly. But I was not prepared for what I saw. A beautiful gold necklace with charm on it that read #1 Mom. It was that moment that my heart literally exploded and I was speechless as my eyes filled with tears and I wiped them slowly.

"My baby this is..this is the best present I have ever gotten." I looked up at her as I continued to wipe my eyes.

"I don't know if any of this will workout. If my adoption will work out but I wanted you to know how I feel. Even if it's really hard for me to tell you. I..I see you as my mom Stef. I really do and I have never felt this way or this much love for anyone but my mother. I just remember after she died and being in so many foster homes and then Juvie and group and just wishing that someone would love me as much as she had. I didn't know if that would ever happen. I just didn't and I gave up and just couldn't believe anything anymore. But then you and Lena came and I just felt like it was a fairytale. I still feel like it is sometimes because I'm just so happy. And no matter if I get adopted or not or things don't work out I just want you to know that you're my mom and always will be." Callie's eyes were filled with tears and I by this point was crying. I just couldn't even remotely hold it back anymore as the young girl hugged me and I hugged her back harder than I ever have.

"I love you mom. I love you so much." Callie said burying her face in my shirt as I held her tight.

"My babygirl I love you more then you could ever know. More than ever. Thank you love. Thank you so so much." I kissed her temples over and over as I gently pulled away and looked into her eyes wiping her tears.

"I didn't mean to make you cry." She said smiling.

"No this was good tears baby. Hearing you call me mom, it just, it's the most wonderful sound ever and those things you said. It's nice to know my love. It is." I kissed her forehead gently as the smile remained on our faces.

"How about you put this beautiful necklace on me?" I said as Callie let out a wider smile and I turned around as she gently placed the necklace around my neck and closed it. Turning back around I touched it as Callie admired it on me.

"Looking good?" I asked

" Looks good mama." The word again tugged my heart.

"Come here baby." She hugged me once again for what seemed like an hour and I wasn't letting go.

As I soon heard her snoring a bit I knew she must have fallen asleep in my arms so I moved slowly to lay on the couch as Callie wrapped her arm around me and laid her head on my chest. Looking out the window and to my surprise I saw snow falling and could only smile at the site.

"Mom, it's it's snowing." She said almost like a young five year old.

"Yeah, my love just for you. Just for you." I said as she laid her head back down on my chest and I rubbed her face gently.

My Christmas wish was this little girl and that's what I would certainly get no matter what. Lena and I would get her out of the system if it was the last thing we did.


	2. The Haircut

**The Haircut: We never really got to see any of the kids reactions to Stef's haircut so I wanted to make a scene with it. It also addresses Callie's terrible attitude toward Stef in the first few episodes of season 3b. Takes place in the episode right before Stef reveals her new haircut to Lena.**

Stef Adams Foster had just chopped most of her hair off and she was feeling free. More free than she ever had in her entire life. She had always wanted to cut her hair really short but held back from doing it. She for one couldn't believe how much weight her long hair had carried and how much baggage had come along with, much less the upkeep and stigma that came along with it. Ever since getting her mastectomy she really believed in the phase of you only live once. So if she was going to live she was really going to live. But as she drove her GMC SUV into the driveway she began to feel nervousness creep up in her body. Yes her long hair was gone, but she had a sudden rush of fear and almost panic. It was the same fear she encountered when she was sitting at the salon and she started to see her hair falling on the ground. But now she was home and she wasn't sure her wife would like it, or find her attractive especially with her breasts being gone and now her long hair.

"Fuck, what was I thinking? I must really want people to call me a dyke. Great job, awesome job Stef. You outdid yourself." The pep talk she had given herself the whole entire ride home had worn off and lost its value. Doubt was now setting in and her mind went to Monte. What? How could that even happen again. She thought of how attractive Monte was, her long beautiful hair, her body and her breast still intact. What did Stef have now. No breasts, an ok body, certainly no PHD and short hair. She could only shake her head as she tried to drive Monte out of her head as Lena had reassured her so many times in the last few months that she loved her, that she loved everything about her no matter what and that she had no feelings for Monte whatsoever. The two in fact had worked through that issue but Stef from time to time still felt threatened.

The blonde continued to sit in the driver's seat not moving out of the car with the keys still in the ignition. She knew her wife was home for she saw the Prius in the driveway but her own thoughts were stopping her from getting out of the car. Maybe she did look like a man now.. Maybe she had not one of femininity left in her. What would her kids think? What would everyone think. Yeah there goes Stef Adams Foster the dyke. Would her kids be embarrassed? Would her wife be embarrassed. She couldn't bring herself to do it but just as she was just about to start her car she heard a knock at the passenger window. Her eyes became wide as she saw her oldest daughter knocking on it and smiling. Well there was no holding back now. The deed had been seen. Awkwardly, Stef unlocked the door as she had no idea how long Callie had noticed her sitting in their like an idiot. But she would find out.

"Hey, is everything ok?" Callie asked opening the door and taking a seat in the passenger side. She instantly noticed her moms hair and all she could do was let out a wide smile. She herself had loved her mother's long blonde hair. How she wore it straight sometimes, or curly or wavy, or up. Stef had even let her play with it sometimes, or put it in a braid, or just have fun with it. Callie liked those moments and it made her feel like a kid again instead of a 17 year old.

As the blonde tried to think of an answer to her daughter's question Stef felt more than self conscious. She wanted to put a hat on or a hood or anything and just run far way as she avoided eye contact with Callie.

"Yeah, love I..I was just thinking that I forgot to pick something up from the store and I was debating if I wanted to go back or not."

"Stef, you are a terrible liar." Callie began to laugh as Stef put her head down still too shy to look at her daughter but Callie grabbed her mother's hand from her lap.

"I love your hair by the way." The teen smiled as Stef shockingly turned her head to look at her daughter.

" You do?"

"Yes of course.I think it looks beautiful on you." Callie squeezed her hand and the blonde let out a loud sigh as if she had been holding in her breath the entire time.

"Why what's wrong you don't like it?" The teen asked as she stared intensely at her mother's strong profile noticing hesitation and fear.

"I...I don't know baby. I did and then I didn't and now I'm not sure and…"she trailed off not sure of what else to say as she again looked out the driver's window.

Callie sat there listening and observing the strongest women she had ever met shed her walls. She knew her mom couldn't always be strong and she knew at times even if she appeared to be fully confident that she too had her insecurities especially with the recent surgery that had removed her breasts. Her mother had not said anything about it but she had heard her crying at night to Lena and had heard her reference herself to not being so feminine anymore or attractive. She knew Stef used humor sometimes to make fun of herself as a way to cope. She learned that awhile ago about her. But Callie felt it was ok to see this side of her mother. Who had only become her mother legally recently something she couldn't believe herself. But she didn't mind giving her a pep talk for once and felt like she needed it. She honestly had felt bad for the way she had been behaving and speaking to her mother. She had been rude about the whole AJ thing and had really given her hell. She also had been rude about the whole Fost and Found program and came to realize that her moms were honestly just looking out for her like they always had. Callie knew and could clearly see that it was time to be supportive and be that person she was reaching to be so badly even if she didn't always agree with Stef. At the end of the day she was her mother and always would be and it was clear to her that her mom needed her support.

"Well, you always ask me what I am afraid of. So I'm asking you. What are you afraid of?"

Stef looked to her grown daughter and smiled as she too realized that the last few months they had done nothing but bump heads constantly. Considering all things and how little they had spoken and how much Callie had avoided her the last few weeks she was the last person she thought would be in the car comforting her.

"Stef?" Callie asked again and holding her mother's hand harder this time.

"I'm, I'm afraid I look even more like a dyke then I did before." Stef laughed as she looked out her drivers window again and Callie thought back to the night she first met her mother's and called them dykes. But she didn't feel that way anymore and she didn't even see them that way. Not even remotely. Back then she was a young ignorant kid trying to defend herself without a care in the world.

"Mom, why would you think that?"

At hearing this Stef moved her head so fast to face Callie at the word she thought she heard spill from her daughter's mouth. Had she heard right? Had Callie called her what she thought she did? Stef felt somewhat speechless and could feel her eyes swell up.

"What, what did you say baby?" She asked turning her body to face her daughter as her face turned even softer then before. By this time she had forgotten about her haircut altogether.

"I said why would you think that."

" No, no, love before that you said something." Stef smiled at Callie as the young girl smiled back knowing fully what she was asking her to repeat. She had wanted to call Stef mom for the longest time but she just wasn't sure when or how but she had certainly almost let it slip many times before but had caught herself.

"I, I said mom." The girl stuttered as it was now her who looked down in embarrassment and feeling a little self conscious.

"I mean if you don't want me to call you that it's fine I can just…"

"My love." Stef lifted Callie's chin up as her heart melted.

" I just wanted to make sure I heard right." The blonde smiled at her and pulled her in for a strong hug.

"Baby you can call me that a million times a day and I'd never ever get sick of hearing it." She said kissing the top of her head a million times.

"It's so nice to hear. You have no idea love. No idea."

The two continued to hug as Callie sniffed the scent of vanilla from her mother's plaid shirt that she adored so much. She herself also noticed the difference in her hug. She no longer felt her breasts their and had forgotten completely and she felt tears swell in her eyes.

A few moments later the teen pulled away looking into her mother's soft and sensitive eyes and continued to admire her haircut that meant more then she would ever know.

"Mom, it doesn't make you look like a, like a dyke, not at all. If anything it makes you look even more feminine, and more confident and just beautiful. I mean you were already beautiful with your long hair but now you're even more. A lot of girls and women are scared to cut their hair short because it represents some weird thing or something. But your like, your like my role model and now that I've seen you do it I feel like it's ok if I want to and it won't mean I'm not a woman or a girl or whatever."

Stef continued to listen to her wise young daughter feeling so proud of her.

"Mom, you're amazing and I'm, I'm sorry for how I've been talking to you lately I just,.." Callie began to cry hysterically just as much as she had cried the time she broke down in front of Stef the day Rita took Kiara.

"Cal, love it's ok. It's ok my baby. I know there's been a lot going on lately. So much to the point that I can barely keep up myself. With the adoption and Jesus coming back, and my mom staying, me and mama's issues and my surgery. Half the time I don't know which way is up anymore. Look my love, I am sorry about what happened with AJ. I know I should have told you but at the time I just wasn't in the position to tell you or to able to tell you. I wanted too baby, I did, but I couldn't. And just so you know I am always always always, your mother first before I am the cop. It may not seem that way sometimes but it's the truth. Yes?" Stef rubbed her daughter's face and wiped her tears from her cheek as Callie nodded.

" I'm, I'm sorry I wasn't more supportive before and after your surgery. I was kind of a brat and only thinking of myself. I don't know it's not important but I mean it was weird like being mad at you." Callie admitted as the two remained close.

"Honey you were supportive in your own way. It wasn't an easy thing and its still not easy but just seeing you kids faces was enough for me to keep going. It was." Stef winked at her young daughter.

"But listen at some point you're gonna get angry at me and mama that's just the way life is especially in a family. Plus that's how I knew you were really my daughter." The two laughed.

"And Callie, the fact that you allowed yourself to get angry at me and still feel ok that we weren't just going to let you go. That's another thing love. You trust us, yes?"

"Yeah. I do." She nodded.

"I trust you and mama more than anything. And I love you mom."

"Good my love. And I love you too sweets." The blonde kissed the girl's forehead as she pulled her in for another hug.

"But mom, you have to trust your feelings and instincts about your haircut." Stef heard her say as she leaned her head on top of Callie's. The girl was right as the teen pulled gently away but continued to hold her mothers hand.

"I think you should go inside and show mama how beautiful you look mom. And I think you should trust it. You know mama will love it. She loves everything about you. Why don't you trust that?"

Stef looked to her wise daughter once again and smiled.

"You know Callie I think you will one day make an amazing mother. You are already an amazing daughter."

"Well I have an amazing mom who I want to be just like one day." Callie let out a smile and Stef once again kissed her forehead. The two women walked out of the car holding hands as her young daughter encouraged her even more. The short haired blonde walked into the kitchen more confident than she ever had thanks to her little girl, Callie Stefanie Adams Foster.


	3. The Effects Of A Secret

**If you haven't watched the premiere of 4x1 don't read. I've seen it almost 3 times.**

 **This is from a scene I would have liked to see. When Callie and Stef were alone in Lena's office and there was that awkward silence before Mariana walked in. This is what goes on in their heads and they end up having a conversation.**

CALLIE POV

The silence was awkward. The silence that filled the room as now it was just me and mom, alone in mama's office. Did I even have a right to refer to them as that anymore? Did I? Maybe not I thought as I felt more tears trickle down my face harder then before as I tried to suck them. I surly had not wanted Lena to leave me alone with Stef..not at all for I couldn't bear the disappointment that I knew they felt toward me for I failed them both. I failed them both miserably. I failed the two women who showed me more love then anyone ever had in the past 6 years and the shame, the guilt, and the embarrassment I felt could not be matched. In my mind I couldn't justify my impulsive actions...I mean how could I? How could I at all for..for it was stupid and I just...I didn't understand how I could be so stupid. How could I mess this up? How could I do this to them? How could I? I guess I thought it didn't matter at the time, I didn't think I was getting adopted at all, I didn't think it was going to happen to me for nothing good ever had. But it had happened and to my surprise and to Brandon's surprise.. It had happened and the deed had been done. The deed had been done and there was nothing I could do, nothing me or Brandon could do to reverse it. Nothing and if I could have, If there was anyway possible or humanly possible I would, for this family no matter what anyone thought was my life and I had prayed for one like this. I truly had. I had prayed for love like this and I had prayed for...I had prayed for a mother to love me. And I had two. Two mother's who I was wondering if they even wanted to be anymore to me. Brandon, he didn't have to worry. Regardless of what he did he was Stef's biological son and I was just...I was just some messed up foster kid who could get shipped back to where I belonged. Which I didn't know anymore.

"There's nothing you could do to make us not want you." Those words went through my head as it had been just a few months ago that my mom...Stef had spoken those words to me outside the center. It had been such a hard time when I had lied yet again to cover up another mistake Brandon and I had made. Horrible time, and the pain I had put Stef and Lena through then ...was was unbelievable. But they...they listened to every word I said, they comforted me and told me it would be ok. That everything would be ok and that they would handle it. And they did. But this was different. This was very different. This became become, this was a bigger lie, and this would affect everyone in more ways then one. This would...this would and could possibly destroy and tarnish our family.

Right now..my eyes were too fearful to look at my mother...even if they wanted to as my legs began to shake and I played once again with my fingers. I saw her out of the corner of my eye...I saw my mother sit stiller then ever as I knew she was fuming, fuming more then..then I could even imagine. Lena had..had spoke softy to me, not yelling as she rarely ever yelled for she was more the patient listener from the very first time I met her and it was known to all of us that she was the much more calmer and understanding of the two. Even if that was true, and even if Stef was more the hothead the truth was she had never screamed at me, she had never really even yelled at me but..but today she had torn into me, she had glared at me coldly and my heart had died. It had broken for she was the one...she was the one that I truly felt the closest too, the one I loved so differently, the one I had opened up to first and always, and she was the one I admired more then any woman that I ever met. Deep inside I already felt guilty for how I had spoken to her during the issues with AJ, how I had behaved so selfish after her surgery. I had been. I had been a brat and had only been concerned with myself never regarding her feelings. Never really regarding the pain she must have been in or the embarrassment, or how frightened she must have felt. How would I know..I never asked her once. I was too concerned with being this role model that Justina was making me out to be, and in the end...that...that became a nightmare. I couldn't help but think what...she was thinking as I looked to Stef once again who continued to focus on the floor in front of her with more intensity then ever. I knew she felt betrayed by me. I knew she was questioning me, I knew she was questioning why I never said anything before the adoption. I knew she was questioning if she had made a mistake letting me into her life. I knew she was wondering if I was a mistake and was wondering if she should just have sent me back to Juvie that night I ran to get Jude. How could she not be thinking any of that. I was...I was thinking it as I wiped the remaining tears from my face.

My mind continued to replay events over and over as I didn't know if I should speak, but what good had that done. Not much. Not much at all for...for there wasn't much left for me to say. And how many times could I say sorry. But ..I would continue to say it. I would say it as much as I could as more tears continued to trail down my cheek once again as I felt my phone vibrate. But I dared not too..I dared not to look at it. Not at all as my eyes trailed once again to my mother who now was looking directly at me and quickly I diverted my eyes back to my hands as fast as I could. But I could still feel her looking at me, I could feel her stare more then anything as I could only think how much she hated me right now. Hated me more then anything...and I just wanted to run out of this room. I wanted to run so far away but I had been done with running. I had vowed I'd never run again and I had vowed I'd talk about whatever was on my mind. But...I just didn't know...I didn't know at all as I soon saw her pass me a tissue as I looked over surprised as her face remained expressionless. I gently took it and blew my nose as the room remained silent and I heard her let out a sigh.

I should say something..I knew she was too angry to say anything..I knew that. No I won't say anything. I'll..I'll just keep looking at the floor. I know she thinks I'ms disgusting. I Know she thinks I'm a slut, I know she thinks I'm a joke, that I'm a tramp. I know she thinks what everyone else probably thinks...I know she does...and..I will say something. I will for...what more do I have to loose. My reputation is already tarnished, and I'm pretty sure I will lose this family, and I will loose my brother.

"Mom I'm sorry." I soon found myself saying and I only choked on my words as I slowly looked right into her eyes as her face remained expressionless. I knew I had alot of nerve calling her that as I had never done so before. Maybe she thought the motive behind it was...was different then what my motive had been. I had no..I had no real motive and if I was honest with myself I had wanted to call Stef mom for months now...and I had been too frightened to do so. I had felt that if I spoke that word that I would jinx my adoption. So much for that for I had really jinxed it on my own. But I knew I never deserved this family, I never deserved to be Callie Adams Foster and maybe that was why I had never called her mom or Lena mama. Maybe that was why...and why did now make it any different as I waited patiently for her to respond for a few minutes had gone by.

"Callie..go back to class. We will talk about this later." she finally spoke as I felt...felt defeated. More defeated then I could only imagine as her eyes glanced back to the floor.

As I sat there...feeling worse then before I grabbed my bag and slowly began to walk to the door. But I stopped. I stopped to look back at her.

"I...I didn't try to scam my way into ..into your family." I blurted out as she now looked up to me. Her stare was intense and..and I wasn't sure what to make of it as my feet felt..felt like stone.

"Callie, I never said you did." Her voice was stern as I could see doubts written all over her face. Doubts and suspicions.

"BUt...I I know you think...I know you think I'm manipulative."

"Callie...I don't think that. We will talk about this later. The best thing right now is for you to go back to class...This is not something I can just process in ten minutes. It's just not." she shook her head as her voice still remained cold and her eyes once again fell to the floor and I could see the frustration running through her body. Turning around I placed my hand on the doorknob to leave. But..but I couldn't leave yet. I couldn't and I turned around once again.

"Look if you want to...if you want to reverse my adoption, if you don't want me to be your daughter anymore...I'll understand. I will. I...I know I made a horrible mistake. A mistake I can't take back ever, and If I could I would. I would take it back everyday and I've regretted not telling you. I have. Just...just you don't know how much...how much I love you. The love I have for you Mom and the love I have for Mama...I...I never felt that since my mother died. And I never thought I could ever..feel love again and..and I did..and I have never felt so happy in my entire life. I haven't and I'm sorry I betrayed you, I'm sorry I lied again. If...if you want me to go home and pack my things...I..I can. I'll leave and...and you won't have to hear from me again. Ever." I could no longer see as tears had clouded my vision. They had clouded any sense of being able to see as...as if I didn't say what I was feeling I would explode. I had kept my share of secrets from them for the past few months and I just couldn't take it anymore, and I could't live like that anymore and It wasn't right of me to, to treat them like this. They had shown me a home, they had shown me love, they had shown both me and Jude what a real family was from day one. They had never treated us like foster kids. Ever. They had never beaten us, they had never verbally abused us, never and this was how I re payed them...by making their lives difficult. Of course I didn't want to leave, ever but...if they no longer wanted me...I would as I felt my hand touch the doorknob.

"Callie sit down."

* * *

NOTE: Next Chapter will be STEFS POV


	4. The Effects Of A Secret Part 2

STEF POV

What I was feeling was more anger then anyone could ever feel. How as I suppose to even process this. How could anyone even process this? I don't.. I don't even know what I heard or if I had heard correctly. Brandon and Callie had sex? My children has sex with one another. Yes wrap your head around that. Sure as a parent I knew my kids would mess up, would make stupid mistakes, and I would hope they wouldn't repeat those mistakes. One could hope and my kids had made there fair share...but this one. How...how was I going to fix this. This one was out there for everyone to see, it was on the internet, it was all over social media, it was traveling around like wildfire, and it could possibly turn ugly legally. I Knew I had broken a lot of rules in terms of making sure Robert would have no chance at getting Callie, I knew that and I had fought my hardest for her and I always would. But I was blindside for sure by this one. I mean how could they lie to us? After all this time..I just didn't get it. I didn't understand, how could they look me in the face and Lena in the face and lie for months. How?

Looking at my daughter I saw the tears continue to fall down her face and I knew she felt bad, I knew she felt ashamed, I knew this but I was trying so hard not to boil over.I was trying so hard not to scream, not to make her feel even worse then I knew she already felt. But..neither her or Brandon with there impulsive and stupid act knew of the real consequences this could lead to. They just had no idea...of the mess...of the mess we would have to clean up. Non at all as I glanced once again to my little girl who had avoided my eyes like the plague as I heard her sniffles and passed her a tissue.

Callie Adams Foster...there was no going back..and she would always remain my daughter no matter what she did, and as a mother you didn't just give up on your kids if they fucked up, no matter if they were biologically yours or not. I had vowed to be her mother even when I was just her foster mother and I wasn't one to give up on anyone, ever especially my babies. And she still was my baby very much even if I could smack her right now for Callie, unfortunately, was known for making mistakes and acting without thinking many times. I thought we had..I thought we had gotten past the keeping secrets, I thought we had once she told me the real reason a few months ago why she wanted to live with Robert. That one she had carried around for weeks..and I didn't know how she even could do it. But she had...and she had once again and the day she finally revealed it to me felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders. For one reason or another I always had a sense when something was wrong with Callie. When something was bugging her or something just wasn't right. This time really had been no different at all. But..I thought possibly my sensors were off but maybe they had not been. I knew she was upset about our misunderstanding in terms of AJ, I knew was she irritated with me and Lena about her intense involvement with Fost and Found and signing that ridiculous bill that she knew nothing about. I knew all of that. But it didn't explain her level of anger or irritation toward us, especially to me. She had clearly been..been almost picking fights with me since her adoption, and in some sense she had seemed distant. I of course fully blame myself for if I had not needed surgery, if Lena and I had not had our share of problems and the mess of other things going on maybe I would have seen what was really going on. Maybe if I had not left Idyllwild early that night claiming I had a fake headache, maybe if I had been a better communicator to my wife...maybe...maybe this crazy thing between my son and daughter would not have happened. Just maybe if I had not been so distracted, or if Lena and I had not been so distracted...and...and I just don't get how...how I could have missed this. How I could not have seen this. Or did I not want to see it. Or did I not want to believe it.

"Mom, I'm sorry." I suddenly heard her say as my eyes instantly looked into hers which remained tear stained as what I had heard her call me. Oh Callie...she had no idea how long I waited for her to call me mom. No idea and I could literally feel my heart break. I wanted nothing more then to get out of this chair and hug her to pieces. But the anger I was feeling, the betrayal I was feeling was blocking that. As much as I didn't want it to block it for...for that word had so much meaning to it. So much and I knew it wasn't easy for her to call me that...especially now. I knew it..and even if I loved the sound of it, and I loved the fact that she had spoken it I didn't know how to respond in the way that I knew I should.

"Callie go back to class. We will talk about this later." I said much harsher then I wanted as my eyes looked back to the floor as I couldn't bare to look into hers. I knew that response was not the one she wanted to hear from me. I knew it but I had to calm down. I had to...I had to process this...and I knew Lena and I would need to speak to both her and Brandon, and I knew...I knew Callie was feeling like we no longer would want her. I knew where her brain was going even if she failed to say it right this second. I would some how have to ...have to reassure her that we still loved her, that she was still my daughter and that no, even if her and Brandon had done something so stupid that we still wanted her very much. That she was still apart of our family just as much as he was. Of course I was going to kill my son when I saw him. I was going to rip into him like no other for he knew better. He knew much better then this but I had to keep my mind calm as I saw Callie soon get up and grab her things walking to the door. My eyes gazed at her as she stood awkwardly in front of the door and I knew...I knew she would say something before she left. She was just like me. Identical.

"I...I didn't try to scam my way into ..into your family." she blurted out as I could only stare into her eyes as that thought never crossed my mind ever. I knew she never scammed her way into our lives or our family. I knew she loved us and I knew she just wanted to be apart of us. I knew that very well as I shook my head.

"Callie, I never said you did." I voiced as her face looked confused and defensive. Almost like she doubted me.

"But...I I know you think...I know you think I'm manipulative."

What? Goodness...this kid...we still had so much work to do. We really did. We really did for this was far beyond the truth. Manipulative...did she not see the person she really was. Caring, kind, puts other first before herself. Does she still not see this. But I had to remember...I really had to remember it had only been a year that she came into our lives and my baby had issues for deeper then I sometimes realized. But again...I couldn't talk about this right now with her. It was not the time and it was not the place anymore...and I didn't want to discuss anymore without Lena.

"Callie...I don't think that. We will talk about this later. The best thing right now is for you to go back to class...This is not something I can just process in ten minutes. It's just not." I said as she remained by the door staring more intensely then ever at me. I had to give it to her where most of my kids would cease to talk after I had gotten angry Callie was truly the one to stand up to me.

"Look if you want to...if you want to reverse my adoption, if you don't want me to be your daughter anymore...I'll understand. I will. I...I know I made a horrible mistake. A mistake I can't take back ever, and If I could I would. I would take it back everyday and I've regretted not telling you. I have. Just...just you don't know how much...how much I love you. The love I have for you Mom and the love I have for Mama...I...I never felt that since my mother died. And I never thought I could ever..feel love again and..and I did..and I have never felt so happy in my entire life. I haven't and I'm sorry I betrayed you, I'm sorry I lied again. If...if you want me to go home and pack my things...I..I can. I'll leave and...and you won't have to hear from me again. Ever."

As I listened fully to what she spoke to me...I knew it wasn't easy for her to reveal any of that as I saw the tears fall down her face once again more then ever. I knew I couldn't let her go back to class feeling this way. Feeling like we didn't love her, or didn't want her as I predicted she would feel. And..and to hear her think that we would...un adopt her? Was...I just...I would never even consider that and that was never anything that would ever cross my mind. Ever. No matter what she did, ever she was always always Callie Adams Foster and I would never, and Lena would never in a million years kick her out. Never tell her to pack her bags and leave, never. I could only let out a loud sigh at these wild thoughts she had.

"Callie sit down." I said as she looked surprised to me once again. I needed to set this straight the best I could.

* * *

 **NOTE: Next chapter will be there talk. It is a three parts.**


	5. The Effects Of A Secret Part 3

CALLIE POV

"Callie when are you going to begin to believe me and ..me and Mama?" I heard Stef ask me as she now sat next to me on the couch in Lena's office. It was the closet I had sat next to her in weeks for we had done nothing but bump heads over and over as I just didn't know how to respond to her. I really didn't I mean...trust...I just...

"That day Callie...that day a few months ago when you told me the real reason you wanted to live with Robert what did I tell you?" I heard her ask but my eyes still had not found the courage to look into hers just yet for tears were beginning to burn my eyes. They were burning them horribly as I now wiped them from my cheeks.

"Cals look at me..look at me honey."

I didn't expect her to use such a word on me...I wasn't worth those words anymore..or maybe I never really was. I just couldn't look at her. I couldn't look at the woman that I had failed so horribly. The woman I loved more then anything, the woman I admired more then anything. I couldn't bare to look at her again..for her eyes had said it all what she thought of me. I knew they had as I now felt her gently place her hand on my chin and turning my face to look into hers. She still wanted to touch me. Didn't she think I was dirty. Didn't she think I was gross?

"Cals...my love, is that what you think? That we will just send you back? Ship you off, like you're nothing because of a stupid mistake you made? If that's the case, and if that is the kind of parents we were then we would be kid-less Callie. We wouldn't have any children at all for all of you make mistakes everyday. Me and mama make mistakes. Everyone does and it doesn't mean we throw them away. It doesn't Callie."

My eyes lowered as...as I didn't really believe her. I knew Brandon had nothing to worry about. I knew..even though Mariana had a made a million mistakes, especially with selling the pills and everything that she never had anything to worry about either. Jesus, he had done his share using steroids, cutting class. And even my own brother, Jude. Who never really did anything. Just...they could do anything and not worry but I..I didn't feel that way. I was too insecure, too worried, and deep down I was just waiting, waiting for them to really give up on me. Yes I had been adopted but that had not..that had not gotten rid of all the feelings and issues I still had. I was still terrified, all the time that they would tire of me, or that I would do something so horrible one day that was deemed unforgivable that they would really just get rid of me. They could do it. They could reverse my adoption.

"You..you could reverse my adoption." I let out painfully and soon heard a loud sigh come from Stef.

"Why would we? Unless that's something you want." she once again placed her hand on my chin pushing my face to look in hers.

I swallowed hard. I swallowed really hard for this was certainly not anything I ever wanted. No way on earth.

"Callie is that something you want.? Do you want me and mama to reverse your adoption because I have to tell you that thought never ever once entered my mind."

"No..no..never." Tears running down my eyes.

"Callie...you are my daughter. You are no matter what...and you have to stop thinking that..that that can be undone. Even if we did reverse your adoption, which is something we would never ever even consider, I'd always see you as my little girl. Always. And like I told you that day, nothing you do can make either of us not want you. Nothing. I meant it then and I mean it now. Yes, I'm furious at you, but I'm furious with Brandon as well. I'm furious with both of you. ..but just because he came from me and is biologically mine that makes no difference. I love you all. I love you, Brandon, Jesus, Mariana and Jude. Each and everyone of you regardless. Mistakes, these mistakes you all make me and mama expect them even if we get blindsided. And this surly blindsided us and young lady this does change a few things. It most certainly does."

My eyes remained on her face as she placed her hand inside of mine which I..I didn't expect.

"But what this does not change.. it does not change your position in this family, it doesn't change the love I have for you, the love mama has for you. The love any of us have for you. Is that understood?"

I ..wnated to believe her...but the worry and fear was just to great to really believe her the way I wanted to. I had destroyed so much. How could se love me? How could she love me.

"I don't understand how you can love me. I don't."

"I know it's so hard for you to understand that. I know it is baby. But you have to start trusting me and mama just a little bit. We aren't going to abandon you honey. And...it's so easy for me to love you. You know Cals...you were never ever hard to love, or to fall in love with. That night I first met you sure we didn't hit it off to well but when I came to get you when you ran to get your brother and I saw the way you held him, how you protected him...I said wow I'm looking in a mirror."

I looked up at her as she let out a small smile.

"I knew you were a good kid then. I knew you were and I fell in love with you outside that house that night when I told you weren't worthless. The way you looked at me like..you were so scared. Kinda like now. huh?"

"Somewhat. I never thought I'd still be in your life..and I never thought you would be my.." I stopped myself as I just I didn't have the right to call her mom again. But she held my cheek once again and turned my face to look into hers as I swallowed hard.

"That I would be your what baby?"

I let out a soft sigh.

"You said it a few minutes ago as I recall. I mean that was the reason my heart almost exploded." she admitted as she let out a wide smile at me.

"My mom." I blurted out.

"That's what I wanted to hear my love. Yes..I am your mom and I always will be. That is if that's what you want."

"Of course. I love you more then anything mama and I'm so sorry...I'm sorry for messing up and...I'm just...I'm sorry." I leaned into her as I wrapped my arms around her waist. It had been weeks since I had last hugged her. It had as I soon melted into her and I felt her hug me back harder.

" I know you are. I know you are honey. And mama loves you soo much too. I love you more then you will ever ever know regardless of the mistakes you make. No one in the world is perfect and I don't ever expect you to be. I just ask you to be a good person, work your hardest and be happy. Ok my love?"

I nodded my head as I remained in her arms.

"Good." I felt her kiss the top of my head as I just didn't want her to let me go. I really didn't.

"It's funny..my babies all want to grow up be adults so quickly but I cherish the times that you guys still need us and still need a hug.I always will."

"I'll always need you mom. Always."

"And I will always need and love you my baby. Always and don't you ever forget my girl. Never."


End file.
